Car beake



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GAR BRAKE.

No. 416,997. Patented Dec. 10, 1889.

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2 Sheetg-Sheet 2. O. A. 000K. GAR BRAKE.

Patented Dec. 10, 1889.

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- CHARLES A. COOK, OF BRIDGEIORT, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE BURNS, SILVER & COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

CAR-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 416,997, dated December 10, 1889.

Application filed July 23, 1889. Serial No. 318,428. (No model.)

To to whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES A. COOK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oar-Brakes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has for its object the production of novel releasing mechanism for car-brakes, adapted for use upon. all classes of cars, in which the setting of the brake is accomplished by turning a hand-wheel or handle at the upper end of the brake-staff, the operation being the same whether the staff is manipulated fromthe platform or from the top of the car. It is of course re quired in devices of this class that they should be simple, strong, and durable, of few pieces, and so organized that it is practically impossible for them to get out of repair under any ordinary circumstances and in all kinds of weather.

In order to produce a brake which shall be perfectly adapted to stand all the hard usage to which car-brakes can ordinarily be subjected, I have devised the novel construction of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, numbers being used to denote the several parts.

Figure 1 is an end elevation of a portion of a car, showing the form in which my novel mechanism is applied to the platform of a passenger-car, the mechanism being in section, with the exception of the brake-staff and foot-lever, and the parts being shown in the locked position; Fig. 2, a similar view showing the form in which my novel mechanism is applied to the top of a freight-car, a rod extending downward from the sleeve, upon the lower end of which the chain is adapted to be wound; Fig. 3, a plan view of the holder and foot-lever detached; Fig. 4, a plan View, corresponding with Figs. 1 and 2, the staif being in section; Fig. 5, an inverted plan view of the ratchet; Fig. 6, an elevation of the locking-plate which connects the ratchet with the sleeve detached; and Fig. 7 is an inverted plan view of the sleeve detached.

1 denotes a portion of a car, which may be the ordinary platform or a platform formed at the end of the roof; and 2 is a holder for the sleeve and brake-staff, which is bolted or otherwise rigidly secured to the car.

3 denotes the brake-staff, and 4 a rod extending downward therefrom and forming an extension to the staff when used upon freightcars, as in Fig. 2.

5 denotes the ratchet, which is formed with a recess 6 in its under side. The peculiarity of the ratchet in my novel mechanism is that it is so formed as to serve as a housing for all the operative parts of the releasing mechanism. For this reason the ratchet is cast solid and strong and extends upward some distance on the staff, the upper portion of the ratchet being rigidly secured thereto by one or more pins 7.

8 denotes a sleeve, which extends from the upper portion of the recess in the ratchet down through the holder and some distance below the portion of the car or platform denoted by 1. This sleeve serves as a windingsleeve for the brake-chain (not shown) in the form illustrated in Fig. 1. In the form illustrated in Fig. 2 the chain is Wound upon the lower end of rod 4, an eye 4" being shown in both forms, to which the chain is connected in use; Rod 4, when used, is rigidly connected to the sleeve by pins 9 or in any suitable nianner.

10 is a flange upon the sleeve, which rests upon the top of the holder and is provided with a notch 11 at one side thereof.

12 denotes a locking-plate within the recess or housing, which is provided on its under side with a lug 13, adapted to engage notch 11 inthe flange on the sleeve, and on its upper .side with a lug or lugs 14. These lugs are adapted to engage corresponding sockets 15, formed in any suitable manner in the under side of the ratchetthat is, within the recess. In the present instance I have shown a circular flange 16 as cast within the recess, sockets 15 being simply notches in said flange. It will of course be understood that these details of construction are not of the essence of my invention, it being necessary only that suitable lugs or projections be provided on the locking-plate to engage corresponding sockcts in the ratchet, or vice versa.

In the form illustrated in Fig. 1 the spindle is held against vertical movement by a pin 3, which passes through the lower end thereof, a washer 25 being interposed between said pin and the lower end of the sleeve. I11 the other form the spindle is provided near its lower end with a circular groove 3 which is engaged by a set-screw 3, passing through the sleeve, so that in both forms the sleeve is free to rotate independently of the spindle when not connected thereto by the lockingplate.

17 denotes a foot-lever, which is provided on its under side with a lug 18, adapted to engage suitable depressions 19 in holder 2.

In the drawings I have shown a slot 20 in the holder and the central portion of lug 18 enlarged to form a plate 24, engaging said slots, thereby bracing the foot-lever against lateral strain. The rear end of this lever is provided with a plat-e 21, which is suitably placed to be conveniently reached by the operator, and its forward end is bifurcated, the arms extending around holder 2 and resting upon the under side of locking-plate 12, so that when the rear end of the foot-lever is pressed down the forward end is raised, thereby raising the locking-plate and disconnecting lug 13 from notch 11 in the top of the sleeve. This construction I have found to operate perfectly by gravity alone, there being no objection, however, to supplementing the gravity action by that of a spring, and in order to avoid the possibility of failure to act I ordinarily provide a spring 22, the upper end of which bears against the top of the recess in the ratchet, the lower end resting upon locking-plate 12 within flange 16, as is clearly shown.

The operation of my invention is as follows: The brake mechanism (not shown) is set or locked in any suitable manner, as by a chain, (not shown,) one end of which is connected to an eye in the sleeve or at the lower end of the rod. In setting the brake the operation is as follows: The staff is rotated by a suitable hand-wheel or handle. (Not shown, as it forms no portion of my present invention.) The ratchet will be seen to be rigidly connected to the staff, so that it must rotate with it, and must carry the locking-plate through the engagement of lugs 14 with sockets 15, it being understood, of course, that the parts are in their normal position that is, that locking-plate 12 is connected to the sleeve through the engagement of lug 13 with notch 11. It follows, therefore, that the sleeve must be rotated by the brake-staff and the chain wound thereon or on the rod to set or look the brake. V

\Vhen the brake has been tightened up sufficiently, it is held in the locked or set position by the engagement of an ordinary footdog 23 with the ratchet. Suppose, now, that it is desired to release the brake. Instead of being compelled to apply sufficient power to turn the staff still farther forward and then kick the footdog to release it from the ratchet, and at the same time to release the hold upon the staff, the operator simply has to press downward quickly and firmly upon the plate of the foot-lever. This tilts the forward end of said lever and raises the lockingplate out of engagement with the sleevethat is to say, it raises said plate sufficiently so that lug 13 is lifted out from notch 11*. This leaves the brake-staff wholly disconnected from the sleeve, and permits the latter to rot-ate backward and release the brake, it not being necessary to turn. the brake-staff forward at all in the act of unlocking or to touch the foot-dog. As soon as the brake is unlocked, which takes place instantly, the operator removes his foot from the foot-lever, which allows the locking-plate to drop back to its normal position, as in Fig. 1. Should it happen that the sleeve and locking-plate should stop in such position relatively to each other that lug 13 will not engage notch 11, it is obvious that the locking must take place just as soon as the brake-staff is given a slight turn in either direction. This movement may be given at once, or the parts may be allowed to lock themselves the next time the brake is operated, the parts being self-locking as soon as the staff is moved.

As a matter of fact, the brake may be set or locked by turning the staff in either direction, just like an ordinary brake.

It will be obvious that the details of construction may be varied to an almost unlimited extent without departing from the principles of my invention.

I do not claim in this application subjectmatter covered by the claims of my pending applications, Serial Nos. 318,427 and 318,429, filed of even date herewith.

I claim- 1. In combination, a brake-staff, aratchet carried thereby and having a recess in its under side, a sleeve adapted to turn on the staff, and a locking-plate within said recess, which is carried by the ratchet and is adapted to move vertically relatively thereto, so as to engage the sleeve in its normal position and to leave it free when raised.

2. In combination, a brake-staff, aratchet rigidly secured thereto and having a recess in its under side, a sleeve adapted to turn on the staff, a locking-plate within said recess, which is carried by the ratchet and is adapted to move vertically relatively thereto, and a footlever adapted to engage the locking-plate to disconnect the latter from the sleeve.

3. In combination, a brake-staff, a ratchet carried thereby, a foot-dog to lock the ratchet, a sleeve having a notch 11, a locking-plate carried by the ratchet and adapted to move vertically relatively thereto and provided on its under side with a lug engaging the notch in the sleeve, and a foot-lever engaging the under side of the locking-plate, whereby said plate may be disconnected from the sleeve to unlock the brake without movement of the staff of the foot-dog.

4. The combination, with a brake-staff, a sleeve adapted to turn thereon, and a ratchet carried thereby and having a recess in its under side, of a locking-plate in said recess carried by the ratchet and adapted to move vortically in the recess and to engage the sleeve in its normal position, and a foot-lever engaging the locking-plate, whereby the staff and the sleeve may be disconnected, as and for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination, with a brake-staff, a sleeve adapted to turn thereon, and a ratchet carried thereby and having a recess in its under side, of a locking-plate in said recess carried by the ratchet and adapted to move vertically and to engage the sleeve in its normal position, a spring engaging the locking-plate to hold it at its normal position, and a footlever also engaging said plate, whereby the sleeve and the staff may be disconnected against the power of the spring.

carried by the ratchet, which is adapted to slide in the recess and to engage the sleeve in its normal position, and afoot-lever adapted to lift the locking-plate to disconnect the sleeve from the staff.

7 The brake-staff, a sleeve adapted to turn thereon, and a holder by which the sleeve and brake-staff are supported, in combination with a ratchet on the staff, a locking-plate within the ratchet, which engages the sleeve in its normal position, and a foot-lever carried by the holder, the outer end of which is bifurcated to embrace the holder and sleeve and which engages the under side of the lockingplate to disengage the latter from the sleeve.

8. The combination, with a sleeve, ratchet, and locking-plate, substantially as described, of a hold er adapted to be secured to the car through which the sleeve passes and which is provided with depressions 19, and a slot 20,

and a bifurcated foot-lever which engages A. M. WOOSTER, ARLEY I. MUNSON. 

